ISBE School Wellness Conference

This presentation focuses on the art of de-escalation within an educational environment, emphasizing that these skills are universal across all interpersonal interactions. The session transitions from foundational theory, such as remaining calm and setting boundaries, to specific, high-stress scenarios involving both students and colleagues. By prioritizing empathy, non-threatening communication, and the "power of the pause," the training aims to equip staff with practical tools to maintain professionalism and preserve dignity during conflict. Ultimately, the presentation frames de-escalation not just as a safety measure, but as a critical transferable skill for building a culture of trust and emotional regulation across the entire school community.

The Behavior Assessment Training (BAT) Project is a newly awarded statewide initiative, funded by the Illinois State Board of Education and housed at Illinois State University, designed to strengthen how schools and districts approach Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs). Moving beyond compliance-driven practices, BAT emphasizes function-based, instructionally meaningful behavior planning that supports both student outcomes and adult capacity.
The BAT Project provides tiered professional learning, coaching, and implementation guidance focused on building sustainable district and school team capacity for effective behavior assessment and intervention. A central goal of this session is to introduce the BAT Project while beginning to build it in partnership with the field. This conference provides an ideal opportunity to listen and learn from educators, administrators, and support staff who are navigating behavior support challenges in real time.
During the session, participants will be invited to share their perspectives, needs, and priorities through intentional interactions designed to inform the professional learning content, resources, and targeted supports the BAT Project will develop as it launches. Input gathered will help shape how BAT focuses its training and technical assistance to best meet district and school needs across Illinois, ensuring supports are practical, relevant, and responsive to the realities of school-based practice.

The speaker(s) will discuss their efforts to bring BTAM to a traditional law enforcement agency. The program will also cover establishing BTAM teams in your school, where to start and how to get buy in from your staff and community.